Arrest in 2003 Fitchburg killing

Lynn man, long a suspect, faces first-degree murder charges

Tony A. Ancrum of Lynn, center, is arraigned on first-degree murder charges in Worcester Superior Court Thursday afternoon. His attorney, Daniel Cronin, is at right. Christian Perez, 23, of Fitchburg was slain on Sept. 2, 2003, in a shooting on Water Street in Fitchburg. SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE / KATINA CARAGANIS

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WORCESTER -- A Lynn man with a lengthy criminal history was arraigned in Worcester Superior Court Thursday afternoon, charged with shooting a Fitchburg man to death nearly 11 years ago.

Tony A. Ancrum was 21 at the time of the Sept. 2, 2003, shooting on Water Street in Fitchburg, which left 23-year-old Christian Perez dead. Ancrum faces a single count of first-degree murder.

Ancrum was secretly indicted by a grand jury Tuesday. The indictment was made public Thursday morning.

Ancrum was long considered a suspect in the slaying. He was arrested Thursday in Lynn on a warrant in connection with his indictment, said Timothy Connolly, a spokesman for the Worcester District Attorney's Office.

It was not immediately made clear in court what new facts, if any, were brought forward that made it possible for Ancrum to be arrested.

Ancrum, along with Tyrone Strong and Giovannia Rivera, both of Dorchester, and Mitchell Rivera, of Jamaica Plain, were arrested in 2003 on drug and weapons charges after the car they were riding in matched the description of a car seen at the scene of the murder.

The car they were driving in was pulled over on Route 2 eastbound after a police alert was broadcast to be on the lookout for the car.

Once they were pulled over, state troopers seized 65 grams of cocaine and two pistols. All were charged with cocaine trafficking and illegal possession of a large-capacity weapon.

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Their lawyers asked a judge to forbid the admission of physical evidence, including the guns and drugs, because they felt the "be on the lookout" alert that was issued was "too generic, and the discrepancies too great to justify the stop," according to court documents.

Ancrum was sentenced to two years in state prison in 2010 after pleading guilty to drug and firearm charges stemming from the stop.

During his arraignment Friday, Ancrum stood next to his attorney, Daniel Cronin. When the charge and indictment were both read, Ancrum appeared surprised.

Connolly said a secret indictment is usually done when the person in question is not in custody, their whereabouts could be unknown, or the suspect could be a threat to injure someone else, or someone could go after the suspect prior to the arraignment.

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